A former senior manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority pleaded guilty Thursday to a fraud charge after prosecutors say he helped rig $1.3 million in contracts.
Scottie Borders, 61, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in D.C. to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Borders, a former senior program manager, was the primary point of contact for all business between the transit agency and a New Jersey company that supplied traffic signs and safety products.
According to prosecutors, between 2011 and 2020, Borders and his co-conspirators helped the New Jersey firm secure lucrative contracts with WMATA by falsifying price quotes and submitting fraudulent bid proposals.
In addition, Borders added unnecessary items to purchase orders submitted on behalf of the company and procured purchase orders for equipment that Borders knew was unnecessary, poor quality and, in some cases, never actually provided.
Borders “abused his position at WMATA, and his understanding of the contracting and procurement process, to manipulate bids for items and services in favor of the company,” the news release stated.
All told, WMATA paid a total of $1.3 million to the New Jersey company over nine years.
In exchange for facilitating these fraudulent bids and orders, Borders was provided with items of value, such as NFL tickets, prosecutors said.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Borders likely faces 33 to 41 months in prison, a fine of up to $150,000, and restitution.
